A/N: Second to last chapter...Eek! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting this story :)

Chapter 47: The last words of Albus Dumbledore

July 28th 1979 (Saturday)

The sun was starting to rise, giving light to the quiet grounds around the castle, taking away the darkness. Hermione stood silently, staring at the spot where it had happened. Where Voldemort had died. Where Dumbledore had given his life for her. For the greater good.

Aberforth came to stand next to her. Neither of them said anything. There was nothing to be said because it wouldn't have changed anything. It wouldn't bring him back. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she thought of Dumbledore. How he had done everything he could to save them all, and now he was gone. Hermione glanced at Aberforth and saw that he was fighting away tears, his jaw tight. She took his hand but kept her eyes on the ground.

Dumbledore's body, along with many others, had been moved already, and the remaining Death Eaters that had been captured had been carted off to the Ministry for questioning. The lands were eerily empty, but the ground, the trees and the air around them still thrummed with magic. Hermione's friends had gone to Sirius's place, but she had wanted to stay behind for a while. She wasn't ready to be with others. She needed some time to think things through.

After a long silence, Aberforth cleared his throat. "I, uh, have something for you, Mione. If you'll stop by tomorrow?" He asked, eyeing her with a slight worry.

Hermione gave him a curious look. "Oh? I can come right now, if you'd like?"

Ab shook his head. "No, no. You'll stay with your friends tonight, yeah? You need to rest. It can wait for tomorrow."

Hermione nodded slowly and chewed her lip. "Ab?"

Aberforth lifted his brows in question.

"Could I…Could I stay with you for a while? Would that be okay?" She asked hesitantly, cringing inwardly.

She didn't want to be a burden but she had come into the conclusion that she needed some time by herself. And Hogsmeade was rather quiet in this time of year. She also didn't want Ab to be by himself after his brother had died. She wanted to be there for him.

Ab contemplated her request for a moment before he gave her a small smile. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow," he said and put a hand on her shoulder. "Try to rest, Hermione." He said, looking more tired than Hermione had ever seen him.

Hermione gave him a nod and a strained smile, and then he disapparated. She was alone again, with only a handful of Aurors who were searching through the castle and the grounds.

When the sun had fully risen, Hermione let out a weary sigh and left the place, making her way towards Sirius's place where her friends had gathered.

"Mione!" Mary exclaimed as soon as Hermione had stepped out from the fireplace in the reception room. It was empty, and Hermione reckoned everyone was upstairs in the library, or in the kitchen downstairs. Mary pulled her into a hug, looking tired and anxious.

Hermione hugged her friend back. "Hey," she said weakly. She could see that Mary was devastated. They all were. Alice and Frank were gone.

"I'm going to stay with my parents for a couple of days…" Mary said quietly. Hermione understood the need to be with one's family so she merely nodded at Mary.

"I'll be back in a couple of days, I think…" Mary continued and worried her lip. "The others are downstairs," She said and shifted towards the fireplace.

"Mary…" Hermione muttered, not really sure what she was going to say. Nothing seemed enough.

Mary gave her a jerky nod, her eyes flashing with pain. "I know. You too," she said, pressing her lips together. Then she left through the fireplace.

Hermione took in a calming breath and made her way downstairs to the others. As she entered the large kitchen, she was surprised to see some its occupants. Molly and Arthur were there, with Gideon, Fabian and Emmeline. Remus, James, Sirius, Peter and Regulus sat at the end of a long table. Sirius and James were murmuring to each other under their breaths, while Remus, Peter and Regulus sat quietly, listening to the conversation. Gideon and Arthur were leaning against the door that led to the pantry, away from everyone else, and talking urgently about something.

"Hermione!" Molly cried from behind the stove, where she was in the middle of making breakfast with Emmeline and Fabian, her soft features edged with worry. Everyone turned their eyes to the two witches as Hermione smiled weakly at Molly and went to hug her. It had been too long since they'd last met.

"Molly," Hermione whispered, a small sob escaping from her.

Molly patted her back with a soothing manner. "I'm sorry Hermione…I'm so sorry," she murmured softly. "You were so brave, you all were…It's over now," She said quietly as Hermione blinked away tears.

Molly leaned back a bit and regarded Hermione with a sad smile. "I was so worried for you, you know?"

Hermione nodded and swallowed hard. She felt suffocated, and the lump in her throat didn't seem to go away. Needing something else to think about, she looked at her friend carefully – something seemed different. "How are you?" Hermione asked with a small frown.

A small grin spread to her face. "I'm pregnant. It's a boy," She added quickly with an exasperated look. Hermione felt herself smile, felt herself happy on her friend's behalf, even in the midst of the wretchedness. Ron…

"Arthur made the spell even though we were supposed to wait until the baby was born to learn the sex," Molly grumbled jokingly.

Hermione smiled at her friend, feeling slightly better. It was a good distraction. "Congratulations, Molly," Hermione said and hugged her friend again. "How far along are you?"

"Nine or so weeks," Molly said lightly.

Hermione did the math and felt somewhat relieved as she calculated that the baby was due in around late February or in the beginning of March.

"Hungry, Hermione?" Fabian quipped from behind Molly, cocking his head towards the table which was filled with breakfast assortments. Hermione glanced at the piles of toast, sausages, bacon, eggs, pasties and such, and didn't feel a bit hungry.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm, um…perhaps later, thanks," She said and tried to give him a reassuring smile. Despite the small peak of joy regarding Molly's news, the melancholy and drowsiness hit her again with a full force as she thought why they were all there.

She couldn't eat. She didn't know how to be, how to go back to being normal after the battle, after losing so many people, friends and family. Her eyes flickered to the boys sitting at the end of the table. They all had similar looks of gloom and condolence on their faces. She didn't want anyone to look at her with pity. She didn't want to see their mourning faces. She couldn't handle it.

"Is Lily here?" Hermione asked with a trembling voice, her eyes stopping at James, who was watching her carefully.

James gave her a grim smile. "Yeah, she's resting. I think it was a bit too much for her to see…" He spoke, his voice faltering. James averted his eyes and cleared his throat, a pained look on his face.

Hermione twitched at his words. It was something she would never forget, seeing them like that. Alice and Frank lying on the ground, their hands intertwined, their bodies lifeless. She felt the familiar ache in her heart, and that grip in her throat.

She couldn't breathe. She needed to get out.

"I-I'll be in the library," she croaked and turned on her heels, moving quickly across the room and up the stairs.

Several moments later Hermione heard someone enter the library. She was sitting on the floor in front of the empty fireplace, her knees pulled up tightly up to her chest. She had been staring ahead for quite some time, seeing nothing but blurred surroundings as she wept.

Regulus sat down next to her, and she could almost feel the warmth of his body even though he was at least a foot away. Her mind whirled. She brushed her eyes with the backs of her hands before glancing at him. She felt him so close to her, and yet so far away at the same time. What was going to happen next?

They were finally free now. There wasn't anyone tearing them apart anymore. There wasn't anyone forcing him to the dark side, forcing him to do wrong. But the thought of them together…it all seemed like a lightyear away. And even though they had survived many obstacles, nothing seemed to be clear anymore. There was so much to talk about, so much to forgive, so much to forget.

"I'm moving back home today," Regulus muttered, staring ahead stonily.

Hermione turned to look at him curiously. Where had he stayed after graduation if not home? "Oh?" She asked softly.

Regulus gave a wry smile. "Grimmauld Place was passed on to Sirius after our parents' deaths. Even though they swore to disown him, it turned out they hadn't done that. For some reason, they left my brother as the Head of our House, along with the Black fortune," Regulus said without emotion.

Hermione was surprised to hear the news. Sirius hadn't said anything. "But Sirius – "

"He didn't know," Regulus said simply. "He just found out."

Hermione nodded slowly.

"My brother didn't want anything to do with Grimmauld Place, so he gave it to me. Too many bad memories for him, I suppose…" he said quietly, staring down on the floor.

Hermione hummed. "Or, perhaps he knows it means more to you than it does to him," Hermione said kindly, her eyes moving over his unreadable face.

Regulus's lips twitched and he gave her a long stare, his eyes flickering with sadness. Hermione swallowed hard.

Slowly, his eyes moved over her figure, stopping at the hands that were circling her legs. "Give me your hand," he murmured, eyeing her with an expectant look as he held his palm up.

Hermione blinked and placed her hand in his. Her skin tingled from their touch, sending warmth into her body. Regulus frowned and took something from his pocket, and Hermione lifted her brows with interest before she saw what it was.

The bracelet.

"Where did you find it?" Hermione whispered, trying not to think how it had been ripped from her wrist before she and Regulus had been thrown into the cellar.

Carefully, he put it back onto her wrist. Hermione let out a quiet gasp as she felt the familiar magic of the piece of jewellery.

Regulus gave her an inscrutable look. "From someone who shouldn't have kept it," he said blankly.

Hermione frowned, the images of the battle seeping yet again into her mind. She shook her head to drive away the thoughts and gave Regulus a strained smile.

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly, and felt her cheeks warm as Regulus placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist, right over the bracelet.

He lifted his gaze slowly up to meet hers, his stormy grey eyes so intense, that Hermione felt slightly dizzy. With a small curve on his lips, Regulus tugged her closer, slowly, steadily, and Hermione didn't hold back as she met his hard body eagerly, placing a hand against his chest while he took a hold of her waist.

For a small moment their lips were only brushing against each other, their breath mingling, and then with a frustrated sigh, Regulus pulled her even closer to him, closing the distance between them. As their lips touched more firmly, Hermione felt a wave of excitement course through her body. This was what she had been missing. This was what she'd been longing for. To touch him, to feel him. To be with him.

Regulus kissed her softly, his fingertips smoothing up and down her sides, running across her back. When Hermione parted her lips with a tiny sigh of satisfaction and yarning and slid her hands around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, Regulus groaned and let his tongue delve into her mouth, kissing her with such passion that made her tremble with want.

Heat raged between them and they pulled each other closer with utter desperation, tasting one another with a throbbing need. Hermione's heart raced and she felt out of control. Kissing him was like a drug, and she was starved for more. It had been a long time since she'd been in his arms. Too long.

Regulus moved his lips away from hers, pressing kisses down her jaw, against her throat. His hands roamed over her lower back, pulling up her shirt. His fingers soon touched her skin and moved over to her front, travelling up. As his hands crazed her breasts over her bra, Hermione whimpered and dug her fingers into his shoulders. Regulus gasped against her neck and sucked the skin below her ear.

Warmth and thrill spread inside her, settling deep in her belly. Her hand trailed down his chest, his stomach, slipping under the hem of his shirt, brushing the edge of his trousers. She needed to feel his skin. She needed to touch him. She needed this to forget everything else. Everything bad that had happened.

Regulus grunted and pulled away a bit. "Slow down…" He murmured, panting heavily.

Hermione too was trying to catch her breath. Trying to not feel disappointed.

Regulus leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He brought his hands back to rest over her hips as he spoke, "I don't want to rush this. We have all the time in the world now, love."

The words were something she had longed to hear, but for some reason, they had the opposite effect. Hermione pulled back slightly, not feeling good all of a sudden.

"Stay with me."

"What?" Hermione asked with a slight confusion. What had he meant?

Regulus took her hands in his, brushing her skin with his thumbs. He gave her an unsure look. "I'd like you to stay with me. At Grimmauld Place."

Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh. For how long?" She asked slowly. Hadn't he just said that he wanted to slow down? For some reason, Hermione felt tightness in her throat. She felt that pressure reaching her again.

"As long as you wish." He said quietly, searching her face.

Hermione gaped at him. Was he asking her to move in with him?

"I'm…um…" Hermione tried to answer to him, but she didn't even know what she wanted.

She didn't know what to do now, even though it was supposed to be easy. It was supposed to be clear. She loved him, for Merlin's sake! But they had so much to talk about, so much they'd have to go through first. They'd have to talk about the war, what he'd done. They'd have to talk about Sirius, what she'd done. They had both been hurt, they'd both lost people close to them.

There was Voldemort, hissing inside her head, telling her how she had no idea what horrible deeds Regulus had done. There were Alice and Frank, lying next to each other, unmoving. There was Dumbledore, crumpled on her feet. So many things to discuss, so many skeletons in the cupboard. Hermione's breathing quickened and it had nothing to do with Regulus, and everything to do with what had happened during the battle, during the whole war.

Sadness filled her heart as she stared into his grey eyes and spoke, "I'm sorry, Reg. I can't."

Regulus gave her a long stare, searching something from her eyes. "Why? Is it because of my brother? You have feelings for him?" He asked mutedly and dropped her hands, eyeing her closely.

Hermione's eyes widened. "No! Of course not! Regulus, you are the one I want," she said and took his hand, squeezing lightly. "You are the one I love," she said softly, a single tear running down her cheek.

Regulus let out a soft huff and brushed the tear away. "Then why?" He asked quietly, looking upset. "Why did you do it?" He asked mutedly, a deep frown forming into his face. "Why were you with him?"

Hermione gave him a pleading look. "I don't know why…I can't tell you a reason, because there wasn't any. I don't have feelings for him. At least not anything what I feel for you," she said quietly.

Regulus cleared his throat and stood up abruptly. "Then what is it, Hermione?" He asked with a hint of demand in his voice as he stared at her. "What? Is it because of what I did? What I am?"

Hermione stood up slowly, eyeing him hesitantly. "You're not a Death Eater," She said quietly.

Regulus's lips twisted slightly. "Yes, I am. Or I was. And you're afraid to learn what I've done," He concluded, giving her a hard look.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. Of course she was afraid. But she knew it hadn't been him. It had been Voldemort, and Regulus had been forced to do his bidding. She sighed. "Yes, perhaps…but that's not the point," she muttered. She wanted nothing more than to tell him how there wouldn't be any more obstacles between them. How they could finally be together. But she couldn't. Not now. Not yet. "I need to be by myself for a while. I can't be here. I can't look at everyone and see only pain and sorrow. I can't…" Hermione said, her voice trailing off.

"You can't be with me," He said quietly, looking away from her.

Hermione let out a shaky breath. "I-I…" she muttered, her heart breaking a bit when she saw his hurt look. "I need time," Hermione whispered.

Regulus looked at her, a flash of resentment in his eyes.

Hermione reckoned she knew what he was thinking. That she was backing away now, when they finally had a chance to be together. How she was running away after all they'd been through, after all he had endured, for them. "Say it." She whispered with a sad smile.

Regulus frowned and was silent for a moment. "I don't understand why you are doing this. I think you are making a big mistake," he said wearily, running a hand through his hair. "You think it will solve something, but in the end, you have to face the world," he said simply.

Hermione pressed her lips together, blinking away tears. "I'm sorry, Reg," she said, feeling a pang of regret.

Regulus swallowed hard and nodded. "Then I have nothing more to say to you." He said quietly and after a final, long look into her eyes, he turned away and walked to the door.

A quiet sob escaped from her as soon as the door closed after him. Tears prickled in her eyes, and even though she was quite certain that she had done the right choice, that she needed to get away from everyone and needed time, it still hurt. She still felt utterly miserable.

July 29th 1979 (Sunday)

"Ab!" Hermione called from the sitting room after flooing into Hog's Head.

"In here!" Ab shouted from upstairs. A loud crash echoed from there, and a second later Ab was swearing loudly.

Hermione's lips twitched with amusement. She brushed soot off of her clothes before making her way to see what he was on about.

Hermione had gone to her home shortly after talking with Regulus in the library the previous day. Remus had stayed with the boys, but Lily had popped over in the afternoon and spent the evening with Hermione. At first, they had just sat in Hermione's bed, quietly, the air around them dark and depressing as they mourned their losses. Later in the evening Lily had asked Hermione to go through the past days' events with her, as the redhead hadn't been there for any of it. With a heavy heart, Hermione had told her everything. When Remus had come home and before Lily had left to Godric's Hollow that night, Hermione had told them that she would be staying with Aberforth for some time. Even though they hadn't seemed to agree with Hermione's decision to go, Lily and Remus hadn't tried to make her change her mind.

"What happened in here?" Hermione wondered as she stepped in the landing on the third floor of Hog's Head and eyed her old room from the doorway. The room was filled with boxes and bundles of parchment, scrolls, small devices and stacks of robes. Then she understood. They were Dumbledore's possessions.

Ab gave her a strained look and did not answer to her question. Instead he walked to her and pulled her into quick hug. "Good to have you here, lassie."

Hermione smiled back at him after pulling away and eyed the room. "What can I do?" She asked kindly, even though the thought of going through Dumbledore's things felt like it was too soon.

Ab shook his head. "Nothing, I'll have this sorted out in a tick. This was left for you," He said hesitantly and handed her a letter that was sealed with red wax, bearing the mark of Hogwarts's crest.

Hermione gaped at the letter. "Is it…from Dumbledore?" She asked slowly, a cold shiver running down her spine.

Ab nodded. "Yeah. My brother left it to me a couple of weeks ago." He said and looked pained for a moment. Hermione gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself together, like Ab was.

"I'll, uh, be at the pub," he muttered quietly, staring out from the window. "Come find me when you're ready, yeah?" He said and gave Hermione an unreadable look.

She was beginning to feel a bit worried. "Okay, sure." Hermione said as Ab made his way towards downstairs.

Hermione sighed and sat down on a large box on the floor. With trembling hands, she opened the letter and began to read it.

Saturday, July 14th 1979

Dear Hermione,

Let me start with apologising. I'm certain that reading this letter might come as a shock to you, since I have instructed my brother, Aberforth, to give this to you in case of my demise. In case I am not to survive this war, I want you to know something important. Something crucial.

Never would I have imagined that in some point of my life a young girl, a warrior would stumble into a wrong time and try to save us all from the evil. I want you to know how proud of you I am. How taken aback I still am by your abilities, by your strength. And by your will to carry on, even though the world has shown its worst to you at times.

Yes, people have suffered. You have suffered. You have felt quilt, loss, and have carried the world on your shoulders. But you ought to remember, Hermione, that you are not alone in this world. People are responsible for their actions, and of the consequences of their actions. That is not your doing. You have done so much, Hermione. So much good. And in your darkest moments, I want you to remember the good you have done. The light you have given to so many people.

Do not pity the dead, Hermione. I do not know if it is fate, or chance that determines our time in this world, but I know that when my time comes, I will go in peace. I will go by knowing that I have fulfilled my purpose for the greater good. And that is something I wish to thank you for. For giving me faith and showing me the right path when I have faltered.

I want you to live your life and not dwell in guilt and what if's. I want you to feel sorrow, really feel it. And I want you to feel happiness, because you have deserved it, my dear niece. You have deserved it all.

Perhaps we will meet again some day, when fate and chance decide so.

Yours faithfully,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

August 18th 1979 (Saturday)

Dumbledore's funeral was held three weeks after the day of their victory. Snape, Alice and Frank, along with many others had been buried during the previous weeks. It seemed that their days were now spent by attending funerals, saying goodbye to their friends and loved ones and reminiscing the life before the battle, before Voldemort. But not living their lives in a world where the genocidal madman did not exist. Or so Hermione thought.

The wizarding world was slowly trying to go back to normal. But it took time, it took money, and the help of everyone.

As the Death Eaters who were captured after the battle had been carted off to Azkaban, which was now guarded by Aurors after the Dementors had been banished to Merlin knew where, the rest of the Death Eaters, the ones who had managed to escape before the battle had ended were now being tracked down by the Aurors. Needless to say, Sirius and James were working long days and nights. Lily and Mary, who worked at St Mungo's, had their fair share of long shifts as well, since there had been many casualties during the final battle and every pair of hands were necessary.

Remus and Peter had decided to temporarily join the Auror forces, in order to catch the villains and help the wizarding world back to its feet faster. Hermione too had been asked to join them, but she had outright refused. She had had enough of war, enough of battles and duels for a lifetime. Or several lifetimes. She needed some time alone. She needed to forget. And she needed to heal. She needed to let go of the guilt and the feeling of being responsible for others' fates.

After reading Dumbledore's letter, Hermione had been quite moved by his words, and was swept into the familiar feelings of sadness and grief, until she had read the letter again, and again. Until she had understood his words. Dumbledore's last wish was for her to let go of her guilt, the what if's, the feelings of being responsible for everything that happened in this world. He had wanted for her to go on with her life, to feel happiness. And she had decided to honour his last words to her.

Hermione had decided to leave everything behind for a while, to be by herself for once, to sort out the emotional turmoil that had been taking over her. She wanted to let go of the past, the guilt and confusion, and she reckoned that the only way was to take distance to everything and everyone. When she had informed Aberforth about her plans a couple of days after the letter, the man had merely given her a wistful smile and a nod. Her friends on the other hand hadn't quite been as understanding as Ab had been.

"I just don't get it, Mione…" Lily muttered as they wandered around the castle grounds after Dumbledore's funeral. Most of the people attending the Headmaster's funeral had retreated either inside or left to their homes. "Why do you have to go?" Lily asked and stopped in her tracks, eyeing her friend intently, asking the same question she had asked several times already.

Hermione sighed. "You know why, Lily," Hermione said slowly.

Lily frowned. "And you still don't know how long will you be gone?" She asked with a slight worry in her eyes.

Hermione shook her head.

Lily huffed. "You know I'll hunt you down if you don't show up when this baby is due?" She asked threateningly.

Hermione smiled. "And I already promised that I'll be there. Don't worry, Lils. You know I need this. You know that this is best for me," She said softly.

Lily nodded reluctantly and eyed her friend for a moment. "Have you talked with…Regulus?" She asked quietly.

Hermione's insides clenched. "No." She merely said and turned her attention to the Great Lake that loomed further ahead.

She hadn't discussed with Regulus after they had gathered at Sirius's place. They'd met a couple of times in some of the funerals, but neither of them had said anything to the other. Regulus had moved back to Grimmauld Place and according to Remus, he stayed there for most of the time, making Sirius anxious of his wellbeing.

Lily sighed. "Based on what I know, and what I have witnessed…You should talk to him. You shouldn't drop everything between you two so easily…"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "I'm not. I just…I can't be with him right now. I need to figure things out first, and when I'm done – if I'm ever done – I hope he will still want to give us a chance. If not, then, I guess that is the risk that I'm now taking," Hermione said, feeling her heart press with pain as she thought of either option – of leaving him, and him not wanting to be with her.

Lily worried her lip. "Just promise me that you'll keep in touch. Floo me, owl me, anything!" Lily said with a wavery voice.

Hermione felt tears prickling in the backs of her eyes as she nodded silently and pulled her friend into a tight embrace. She had said her goodbyes to the others already, and she knew she had to leave now, before she would change her mind.

As they broke off, Hermione took in the last glimpse of bright green eyes and their sad expression before she whispered, "Until we meet again."

Then she disapparated.